1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital integrated apparatus, and more specifically to the digital integrated apparatus capable of registering a and fetching image data.
2. Background
FIG. 1 shows an schematically function al block diagram of a digital integrated apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. H10-308868 and the construction are explained hereafter referring to the operations.
First, when a user registers and fetches a document in the way described later, it needs to authenticate whether the user can use the apparatus or not. Specifically, in a user table T40 of storage means 97 users that can use the apparatus should be registered in advance according to the procedures described later. Under said conditions, after inserting a user registration card Ku including the user""s name, user""s post, user ID, and etc. into a card reader/writer installed in the apparatus (nor provided separately), user management means 200 reads the content of the card Ku and then judges whether the user has been registered in the user table T40. Only when registered, the user can use the apparatus.
The user is registered into the user table T40 when the user registration card Ku is prepared. Instead of the input by using the user registration card Ku, the user ID can be inputted by using the ten key of the control panel 92 and thereby it can be obtain the same effect. Nevertheless, the copying processing (not including other functions) does not need the user authentication.
After authenticate the user as above, the user is allowed to execute the next processing such as the document registration.
Specifically, while placing document papers, that are papers on which document is written, on an auto document feeder (which is called ADF hereinafter) providing with image reading means 13 such as a scanner, the user inserts the user registration card Ku to the card reader/writer (otherwise, inputs the user ID from ten key), and selects a xe2x80x9cRegistrationxe2x80x9d key from the function key K11 to K14 (see FIG. 5). Next, the image reading means 13 converts the content of the document papers sent one after another by the ADF to document image data and stores them in a memory 79.
After storing the document image data in the prescribed way, document management means 3 issues a unique document ID. And then, while registering the document image data in the storage means 97 (for example, a hard disc, and etc.) as a document image file 7 having a file name corresponding to the document ID, the document management means 3 sends the document ID to document ID encoding means 4. The document ID encoding means 4 prepares a document ID mark corresponding to the document ID and handles it to pattern combining means 8. Thereby, the pattern combining means 8 prepares a document image data attached with the document ID mark (which is called a xe2x80x9cmarked sheet image dataxe2x80x9d hereinafter) by combining the document ID mark and a specific page of the document image data (the first page or a page including characteristic image). The combined image data is sent to output means 9 such as a printer, for example. As a result, the marked sheet shown in FIG. 2 is printed out by the output means 9.
At the time of registering the document image data as described above, the document management means 3 is arranged to register attribute information of the document image data on the attribute management table T10 as shown in FIG. 3. The attribute information comprises the number of sheets, data size, registration ways (a simple registration without the copying, a registration with the copying, a registration with facsimile transmission, a registration with facsimile receiving, and a registration based on the input from a computer), registration date, registration time, user ID, and access right regarding the registered document, in addition to the document ID.
The access right comprises xe2x80x9cOWNERxe2x80x9d that is to give an access right only to a user that has registered the document image data, xe2x80x9cGROUPxe2x80x9d that is to give an access right to users registered in the apparatus as described later, and xe2x80x9cFREExe2x80x9d that is to give an access right to anyone. These kinds of access rights can be selected from the control panel 92 at the time of document registration except the facsimile receiving (See FIG. 5 {circle around (2)}).
It may use as the storage means 97 a hard disc installed in the apparatus, a removable media inserted into the drive 99 provided in the apparatus, or a sever connected with the apparatus via LAN, etc. The kind of the storage means 97 can be indicated as a media ID on the attribute management table T10 shown in FIG. 3.
The document image data thus stored can be fetched as follows. That is to say, when the marked sheet is placed on the ADF and a xe2x80x9cFetchxe2x80x9d key of the function key K11 to K14 (See FIG. 5) is selected, the image reading means 13 converts the marked sheet to the marked sheet image data and stores it in the memory 79. After storing the marked sheet image data as above, the document management means 3 instructs document ID decoding means 5 to start the decoding. The document ID decoding means 5 received the instruction decodes the image data of the document ID mark included in the marked sheet image data to a document ID, which is handled to the document management means 3. Accordingly, the document management means 3 confirms the access right and the document ID in a way described later, and fetches the document image data corresponding to the document ID from the storage means 79, and then the document image data is handled to the output means. As a result, the document papers corresponding to the marked sheet are printed out by the output means 9.
Under these conditions arranged above, the user do not need to perform complicated operations such as the input and instruction by using the ten key of the control panel 92, and can fetch the necessary document image data as the document papers.
Here, the image reading means 13 is used as an input resource of the document image data (document image inputting means), but it is possible to use facsimile receiving means for receiving image data from a facsimile machine or print image receiving means for receiving image data from a computer as the input resource. And the document image data fetched from the storage means 97 can be outputted not only to a printer provided in the apparatus, but also to a remote facsimile machine, or to a printer connected via network. Moreover, the document image data registered in the hard disc as above can be copied or transferred to the other recording media (for example, a removable media such as an optical magneto disc).
By the way, when a user is going to access to a specific document image data as above, he must select the document image data as an object of access.
Specifically, when the marked sheet is placed on the ADF as shown in FIG. 4, the document ID is obtained by decoding the document ID of the marked sheet (Step S131a to S132 to S133). On the other hand, when the marked sheet is not placed on the ADF, the document ID is obtained by inputting from the ten key of the control panel 92 (Step S131a to S131b).
Next, according to the document ID thus obtained, it is checked whether the user has a right to access the document image data (Step S134). In addition, in case it is determined that the user has the access right, the user can access to the specified document image data (that is, the document image data of the document ID).
However, since the prescribed conventional apparatus is arranged that the user ID can be also inputted from the control panel 92, even when the user does not carry the user registration card Ku, the user can activate the apparatus. Therefore, the person who gets to obtain the other person""s user ID and password in some way can access easily to the document image data of the other person by using them. This point becomes a problem in the security.
And further in the conventional apparatus it is possible to use the apparatus in the restricted field (the copying, for example) without using the user registration card Ku, but it is impossible to execute the extension functions other than the copying (for example, the document registration) without the use of the user registration card Ku basically. Accordingly, at the time of registering the document, even if the document is not under the tight security, the user needs the user registration card Ku. In addition, because of this reason, it sometimes occurs that the operation becomes complicated.
Considering the conventional problems, the present invention has an object to solve various problems resulting from the necessity of the user authentication at the time of using the apparatus.
Specifically, the invention presupposes a digital integrated apparatus as shown in FIG. 1, for adding a document ID to a document image data corresponding to a specific document inputted by at least one kind of document image inputting means 13 in order to specify the document image data, for registering them in at least one kind of storage means, for managing them according to the attribute information including the document ID by document management means 3. In addition, if necessary, outputting means 9 outputs the selected document according to the document ID, and it is possible to perform the user authentication. The apparatus is provided with display input control means 92a, after classifying the user authentication under the first user authentication in a specific level and the second user authentication in a lower level than the first one, for judging based on the initial setting whether the result of the second user authentication is valid or not. The first user authentication is based on the personal attribute of user information including the user registration card Ku, and the second user authentication is based on the user ID and password inputted from the control panel 92. Therefore, it is possible to limit the fetching by using the other person""s user ID and password.
In addition, the apparatus may be arranged that, after authenticating the user, display input controller 92 prompts a user to select an object digital integrated apparatus by displaying a list of the digital integrated apparatus connected via network. Accordingly, a user can select and use an object apparatus from the arbitrary apparatus.
And further the apparatus may be arranged that, without performing the user authentication, the document management means 3 judges based on the initial setting whether a user can use various functions provided in the digital integrated or not. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the meaningless high security given the document image data without necessary of so much security.
Moreover, the document management means 3 may be arranged to set the access right to the document image data registered without according to the initial setting.
And user manage means 200 may be provided in order to change OWNER of the registered document image data to another user, and when the user management means 200 deletes a user, the document management means 3 delete the document registered by the user. Thereby, it is possible to prevent from leaving the unnecessary document image data in the storage means 97.